Without any sunlight it's hard to imagine corals (and sponges) thriving in the deep ocean. And yet, deep sea corals and sponges make up vital habitat for many fishes and invertebrates around the world.
Gorgonian Corals
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Historical landings of fixed gear that could impact benthic habitats are shown along with the locations of deep-sea gorgonians in the map above. Fixed gear usage is moderate around the Channel Islands and likely impacts gorgonians in CINMS habitats. Data is from 2007 to 2011. For more information, consult Figure App.C.3.4 in the CINMS 2016 Condition Report.
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Relative abundance Deep-water Corals
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The breakdown for the number of deep-water soft corals colonies observed in each genus for the Southern California Bight. Among the 34,792 images collected by the SWFSC Sebastes ROV between 2003 and 2011 throughout the entire Southern California Bight, researchers observed a total of 5,419 colonies. Adelogorgia was most common with 1,832 colonies in 535 observations. Eugorgia was second most common with 792 colonies in 436 observations. For more information, consult Figure App.E.10.26 in the CINMS 2016 Condition Report.
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Condition of Gorgonian Corals
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Percent of gorgonians showing different levels damage at Anacapa Island during ROV surveys in 2005, 2009, and 2014. By 2014, less than 30 percent of observed gorgonians at Anacapa Island had no recognizable damage. Interactions with fishing gear and increasing water temperatures are thought to contribute to the increases in observed gorgonian damage at Anacapa Island. Gorgonian populations at more western islands are thought to fare better compared to Anacapa due to cooler water and less fishing effort. For more information, consult Figure App.E.10.28 in the CINMS 2016 Condition Report.
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